Sign and method of producing the same



Jan- 29, 1935. R. N. CHUBB 1,989,348

SIGN AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Aug. 12, 1933 OO Q @I O O O O 12V W2 OOOGOOO OO o o O o 0 OQO 0 000@ 0^ INI/ENTf-JR- Row/Omo Chubb A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES SIGN AND METEO? oF rRoDUcmG 'rim AME Rowland' N. Chubb, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 12,

10 Claims.

This invention has for its object the improvement not only of the device disclosed in my Patent No. 1,753,315, dated April 22, 1930, but, in addition thereto, an improvement on the method disclosed in my Patent No. 1,933,657, dated November 7, 1933. The said method consisted in securing glass members in the face plate of the sign by means of lacquer cement. While the same is very successful and covers a large eld of usefulness, I have been Working continually along vthe line of further improvements and have succeeded in securing the glass members permanently within the metal face plate by simply coating the perforated face plate, including the Walls of the perforations, with an unbaked enamel consisting of a suitable pigment or pigments of any desired color in a vehicle, such as an oil which volatilzes at a relatively low temperature.

' The glass members, which are usually colored,

are then placed in their respective perforations while the said coating material is fresh or is still moist, and the face plate is then heated for such a time and at such a temperature as to volatilize the vehicle but not to affect the colors of the pigments or of the elements. When the volatile ingredients are thus driven oi, the pigment or pigments remain as a dried, hard residue which adheres to both the plate and the elements and securely holds them together. The plate with the elements is then coated with a clear transparent varnish which is baked at a low temperature to drive off its volatile constituents.

By this simple, inexpensive and eicient method, I am able to produce a permanent product which is capable of withstanding all degrees of temperature and all chemical conditions to which it may reasonably be subjected, and of withstanding wear, tear and vibration. Also it retains its pristine beauty and brilliance indenitely.

In the following specications and in the accompanying drawing I shall disclose the invention in its relation to signs, and more particularly to illuminated signs, although it is obvious that it is not restricted thereto but is capable of employment to give ornamental effects in the production of articles of various kinds.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a fragment of the perforated face plate of a sign; Fig. 2 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale through the face plate, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the decorative unbaked enamel indicating some of the enamel on the walls of the tapered perforations; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 after baking showing the glass element 1933, Serial No. 684,863 (Cl. 40-133) secured in the perforation by the baked enamel, the glass element being shown in elevation and as having a diameter slightly greater than that of the perforation; Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 3, except that it is on a larger scale, showing in 5 section the additional coating of clear transparent protective baked varnish, and Fig. 5 is a sectional viewxthrough a portion of a sign embodying my invention and having a source of illuminationv therein. 10

In my improved sign I provide a perforated face plate, l0, of any suitable material but preferably of sheet metal, with perforations 11, the same being relatively close together and in such order as to outline the character, symbol, emblem,r 15 pictorial device or any other design which is to be displayed. The said perforations are now countersunk, as shown, to give them tapered walls and the said plate is then subjected to a cleaning process, such as sand blasting. A coating, 12, 20 containing the desired decorative pigment or pigments, is then applied, a part of which lodges on the tapered walls of the perforations; and while this decorative coating is in a moist condition, glass or glass-like elements, 13, preferably spherical, are placed, one in each perforation, in accordance with the color requirements of the design. The said elements, which are slightly larger in diameter than the smaller diameter of the perforations, neatly seat themselves within the latter, as shown. When the plate is subjected to a preliminary sand-blasting, it is not only thoroughly cleaned but the surface is slightly roughened or pitted like frosted glass and is thus better prepared to retain the decorative coating.

The said plate is now placed in au o'ven, or heat is otherwise suitably applied, until such time as the oils or other volatile ingredients of the said decorative coating are volatilized. The residue forms a dry and hard cement which adheres to the glass and to the metal and securely and permanently seals the elements within the said perforations. A suitable coating material for this purpose is a baking enamel which may be made up of zinc oxide, 30%, and ester gum varnish, '70%. 'I'his gives a white color. For other colors, appropriate pigments would be used instead of the zinc oxide. As an additional advantage and improvement to protect the sign against actinic rays and other weathering inuences, I then subject the entire sign to a coating, 14, of clear transparent material in which again the vehicle is volatile at moderate temperatures, and a nal baking is given to leave a clear transparent coating over the whole surface of the sign. This transparent coating may consist of ester gum in linseed and China-wood oil.

I have found that a temperature but little above that of boiling water, say 250 F., is sumcient quickly to drive off the volatile ingredients of the baking enamel and the transparent coat- .ing and to leave the hard and dry cementing residue. This lowtemperature does not soften the glass or affect the colors of either the pigments of the enamel or of the glass elements. While I prefer to use and generally do use a temperature which does not affect the color of the pigment, when the pigment used is black, such as lampblack, or where color of the pigment is of no particular importance, a higher temperature may be employed even if it results in blackening the pigment, but in no case do I use a temperature that is high enough to soften the glass-like elementsor to cause theirdistortion.

While I have shown and described. certain de tails of structure and method, it is realized that these details are susceptible of variation without departure from the spirit of my invention, and I desire it to be understood that the following claims are not intended to be limited to such details any farther than is necessitated by the speciiic terms therein employed.

I claim:

1. 'I'he method of producing a sign orl the like which comprises perforating a face-plate, coating said plate and the walls of the perforation with a pigment in a volatile vehicle, inserting glass-like elements into said perforations while the said coating is moist, and heating said plate to a temperature suillciently high to drive olf the volatile ingredients of the said vehicle but too low to affect the color of the pigment, whereby the pigment is left as a residue covering the face of the plate and forming a cement between the elements and the walls of the respective perforations.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the application of the coating containing the pigment is preceded by sand-blasting the surface of the plate to which the coating is to be applied, whereby the said surface is cleaned and roughened, for the purpose speciiied.

3. The method of producing a sign or the like .which comprises perforating a face-plate, coating said plate and the walls of the perforations with a pigment in a volatile vehicle, inserting glass-like elements into said perforations while the said coating is moist, heating said plate to a temperature sufficiently high to drive on the volatile ingredients of the said vehicle but too low to affect the color of the pigment, whereby the pigment is left as a residue covering the face of the plate and forming a cement between the elements and the walls of the respective perforations. and applying a coating of transparent material over the pigment on the surface of the plate and over the elements in the perforations.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 in which the application of the transparent coating is fbllowed by heating the plate to a temperature sumciently high to 4drive oi! the volatilelingred'ients of said transparent coating but too low to aifect the color of the pigment.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3 in which the application of the coating. containing the pigment is preceded by sand-blasting the surface of the plate to which the said coating is to be applied, for the purpose specified.

6. The method of producing a sign or the like which comprises perforating a face-plate, coating said plate and the walls of the perforation with a pigment in a volatile vehicle, inserting glass-like elements into said perforations while the said coating is moist, and heating said plate to a temperature suillciently high to drive off the volatile ingredients of the said vehicle whereby the pigment is left as a residue covering the face of the plate and forming a cement between the ele- Aments and the walls of the respective perforations.

7. The method of producing a sign or the like which comprises perforating a face plate, coating said plate and the walls of the perforations with an unbaked enamel consisting of substantially 30% pigment and '70% 'ester gum varnish, inserting glass-like elements into said perforations while the said coating is moist, and bringing the temperature of said plate to a degree suflicient to drive off the volatile ingredients of the enamel but too low to affect the color of the pigment or the elements, whereby the pigment is left as a residue covering the face of the plate and forming a cement between the elements and the walls of the respective perforations.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 followed by the application of a coating of transparent material and by heating the coated plate to a temperature sufiiciently high to drive off.' the volatile ingredients of the transparent coating but too low to aect the color of thepigment.

9. A sign or the like comprising a face-plate having a plurality of circular perforations therein, said perforations having tapered walls, a plurality of glass-like spherical elements, one for and within each of the said perforations, said elements having diameters slightly greater than the smallest diameters of the respective perforations, and a dry and hardened pigment between the elements and the walls of said perforations, said pigment serving as a cement to hold the elements in position.

10. A sign or the like comprising a face-plate having a plurality of circular perforations therein, said perforations having tapered walls, a plurality .of glass-like spherical elements, one for and within each of th'e said perforations, said elements having diameters slightly greater than the smallest diameters of the respective perforations, a dry and hardened pigment between the elements and the walls of said perforations, said pigment serving asa cement to hold the elements in position, and a coating of transparent material covering the said elements and the faceplate, for the purpose specified.

ROWLAND N. CHUBB. 

